Obi Wan A New Home
by PMSallume
Summary: What next? Obi Wan leaves Luke with Owen and Beru and walks away...to what? Immediately after Ep 3.


Obi Wan had plenty of time to think about what had happened in the last few days as he rode back to Mos Eisley. The ambling gait of the Eopie rocked the Jedi gently as he let the beast make it's way back to the corral. thoughts of his first visit to the desert planet mingled with his future.

He was to watch over the infant Luke and his new family, but how without drawing attention from the locals? He would need someplace secluded, but within easy distance of the family. The technique that Yoda had passed on to him on communing with his former master needed a secluded place as well. It also had to be safe from the Raiders and Krayt Dragons.

The Eopie knelt so the former Jedi could dismount, handing the corral owner the reins. Cloaked and hooded, he blended in with the dark shadows dropping on the town.

"Excuse me, do you know where the nearest hotel would be?" His gentle voice was polite and was in contrast to his simple clothing.

"Sure..the Krayt Dragon Inn is right down the street on the left." The scruffy wrangler pointed down the dim street, almost empty of anything humanoid.

Giving a short bow in thanks he had to check himself from giving the standard May the Force be with you reply.

"Thank you."

It was taking all his training to blend in with the locals and not stride proudly down the street.

Where once a Jedi would have been something of an honor, and had varying degrees of respect from the average citizen, now he had to hide in shadows on a dusty planet far from the center of the universe for the next eighteen years or more.

His only consolation as he made arrangements for the night was his meditation and training that Master Yoda had given him so that he may commune with his former master Qui Gon.

As well trained as Obi Wan was, a Master Jedi in his full power, he missed Qui Gon more than he liked to admit. He had admitted to Anakin only once that he was sorry the young man could not have benefited from his teaching. Now...Obi Wan would be able to learn from his former master once again.

He settled into his room with the minimal amount of fuss. He was used to having only the clothes on his back when he traveled and as he dropped his cloak on the only chair in the room, he still felt at a loss.

Actually, he felt a good deal of loss.

Sitting heavily on the edge of the bed, he put his head in his hands and allowed himself the luxury of emotions. He wept then, tears he had only shown when he cried out to Anakin of his betrayal. He wept at the images of younglings slain by a lightsaber, the feeling of the loss of so many Jedi cut down, and finally for himself.

This was not self pity. He had failed, but in that failure, he realized he also had hope for the future.

A small baby boy was left in the care of his aunt and uncle with no word as to the truth of his loss. He had contacted Owen and Beru and had simply told them that their half brother was dead as well as his wife and they were to raise Luke as best they could. Raising his face from his hands, the Jedi master released his final sob in a sigh and composed himself.

Master Yoda and Qui Gon would never approve, but they would have been supportive of his grief. Undressing to his under tunic and pants, he then sat on the bed and composed himself for meditation. Centering his being in the Force, feeling it flow through him, connecting him to everything around him. There was a lighter feel to it though, with so many of his comrades missing, the flow had been disturbed severely.

Clearing his mind, Obi Wan set his thoughts to his friend and former master, Qui Gon as Yoda had instructed him. With his energy centered and his thoughts on his master, he at last felt some peace.

After what seemed like several minutes of meditation, a twinge, a whisper, and then a presence was felt in the room.

"Obi Wan." Qui Gon's familiar deep voice resonated out of the Force, with a slight echo. Obi Wan kept his mind calm and connected to the energy but opened his eyes cautiously.

The younger master quieted his excitement at seeing his master again, and let their connection solidify. The image of Qui Gon was not solid, he could see the wall of the room beyond the blue and ghostly image.

"Master..." He didn't know what else to say. It had been over ten years since he had last seen Qui Gon alive and had used that title. Obi Wan himself was a master now and no longer the headstrong apprentice.

"I have failed you Qui Gon. I wasn't able to train Anakin as you trained me. I feel some of this is my fault."

"No Obi Wan, you did not fail and you must not hold onto that thought or it will prevent you from succeeding in your next level of training." The tone of his voice was ominous and caught the other Jedi's attention.

Even though Obi Wan was a master for almost two decades, he was learning still from one who now had the knowlege of the Universe flowing through him because he was truly one with the Force.

"You did everything that you could Obi Wan, his fate would have been the same if I had survived to teach him myself. Do not blame yourself for failing." The figure stood, with his hands hooked inside his belt as he did when talking in casual conversation.

As always, Qui Gon was right. Letting the Force connect them Obi Wan could sense that no matter what, the outcome would be the same.

"How could we have all been so blind?" Obi Wan felt renewed frustration and sadness.

"The Dark Side controlled our very movements so insidiously that only Yoda realized it too late." Qui Gon moved closer to the bed where his fellow Jedi sat.

"Remember when we arrived at Naboo and you had a feeling that something was not right? You had more insight than I at the time, I did not give you enough credit for your intuition."

A feeling of apology and comraderie passed between them and Obi Wan's feeling of loneliness passed. Memories of their time together during his training reinforced their bond once again.

"I am ready to learn what you taught Master Yoda." Obi Wan opened himself more to the will of the Force and his masters instruction once more. The connection was more solid now, but he felt fatigue slipping into his muscles. His concentration was waning even as he grasped at the last tendrils of the image in his mind.

"Let it go for today, Obi Wan." With that, his masters presence faded from the room with a final, "The Force is with you." Obi Wan was left buoyed by his connection to the living Force. Taking a deep breath to bring in more oxygen to his body, he realized he had been sitting for quite some time on his bed. It seemed lighter outside than before. His muscles were stiff as he moved off the bed and although he felt no mental fatigue, his body had not rested.

Checking the chrono in the room, it was morning now. He had spent all night in meditation and communing with Qui Gon. It hadn't seemed that long, nor possible.

Dressing again, he stood in front of a dusty mirror and straightened his clothing. His tabard and tunic had burn marks and holes where cinders had fallen on him on Mustafar. Taking off his tabards and sash, he looked more like one of the locals. His leather belt he kept, putting the food capsules in the small pouch and moving the clip for his saber further to the back. Donning his brown robe, he looked like a nomad now, or one of the local shopkeepers.

His senses through the Force told him someone was outside approaching his door, hostile or at least wary at that. His first instinct was to grab for his lightsaber, which he did, but it wasn't in it's accustomed place. He relaxed then, and opened his mind to the Force and how to deal with the situation without resorting to weapons.

Surprise was best for this situation. Opening the door suddenly, he surprised the two almost on his doorstep. One was a Clone trooper and the other was a long snouted being with goggles. He had never been good at subterfuge or deceit. Anakin, not so surprisingly, had been better at deception than he.

"Well hello there! I'm sorry, but my show isn't until this evening. You'll have to come back later." He brushed past them apparently in a hurry, making sure to keep his hood down over his forehead. The trooper's voice came through the box at his belt to stop where he was.

"Stop there! What is your name?"

Thinking quickly, Obi Wan gave the first name that came to him,

"Ben, Ben Kenobi."

There was a hesitation on the part of the trooper at his name. With a small wave of his hand, Obi Wan connected with the mind of the trooper and spoke,

"You are at the wrong address."

"This is the wrong address."

"We're at the wrong address." The trooper repeated his words, thinking they were his own.

"You're looking for a younger man."

"We're looking for a younger man."

'Move along, sorry to disturb you."

"Move along, sorry to disturb you."

The trooper looked at his spy, motioned with his head and then turned and moved off to another building. Obi Wan quickly walked across the street and into the shade of a doorway..

Realizing that it was a diner or bar, Obi Wan ducked inside and savored the cool dim interior. There was the lone attendant at the bar to his left and a single patron at the far side of the u-shaped bar. Making his way across the room to a booth facing the door, Obi Wan kept his hood up until he had sat down. His lightsaber caught him in his back as he sat and he nonchalantly reached behind and under his cloak to pull it to his side,.

Releasing a deep sigh to relax and focus, he glanced around the room a bit more carefully. It was mostly empty given the hour of the day, he was thankful for that as it gave him some time to think a bit before deciding what to do next.

His last visit to Tatooine so many years ago had been restricted to Amidala's ship primarily. He never had the experience of an extended stay in the dry and sand laden towns as Qui Gon had done. A small twinge of comfort came then, connecting the past with his present as a server came to see to his order.

It was a female Rhodian, her blue green scaly skin was slightly dry looking in the dim light. She asked a question in Huttese he assumed, since most of the locals spoke a similar dialect, but unfortunately that was one language he hadn't had a chance to study.

"I'm sorry...I don't understand, but if you want my order I'll have whatever is the breakfast here." He smiled disarmingly and the server tilted her head quizzically...

"Choo no tac da dustcrepe day nausage?"

Smiling and nodding, he hoped dustcrepe and nausage was something he could digest.

As the Rhodian slunk away, Obi Wan sat back in his seat. What next indeed.

He needed a permanent residence that was not in the middle of any populated area. His survival and the survival of young Luke depended on his presence not being noticed.

His thoughts were calm for the most part, but without knowing the local language he would have to rely on the Force guiding him as well as using his own skills in securing the ideal location.

Just as his server arrived with his food, another patron entered, this time a human male, in the sand colored tunic and trousers that was commonly worn. The man made his way immediately to the bar and hailed the keeper on the other side.

"Well Jori, I've had it. I'm going to sell my homestead and head core-ward."

The keeper poured the apparent regular a drink of some sort and handed it to him.

"For real this time Dalo? You've said the same thing for the past two years." The keeper had the look of an ex-spacer and gave the man a cockeyed smile.

"For real. I've got the claim papers in my pocket and I'm on my way down to the assayers office. Thought I'd stop by for one last drink before heading off planet."

Obi Wan feigned interest in his meal but was feeling the tug of the Force in the direction of the man. This was why he stumbled in to this particular cantina. Even with his experience, the workings of the Force still surprised him in it's way of manipulating events in beneficial directions.

The dustcrepe and nausage actually was rather good and Obi Wan kept his ears and senses focused on the mans conversation and actions at the bar as he kept pace with his food. He intended to finish his meal before or just after the man left.

"So where are you headed then Dalo? Any further in than Corellia and you'll be at the capital."

The man knocked back his drink in a second gulp and banged his glass on the bar.

"Sounds good to me, as long as it's away from here. I'm about to go psycho with all this sand and wind." With a nod toward his glass, the keeper started to pour another round into it. It seemed this had been repeated several times previously and the keeper knew that Dalo would likely end up getting drunk and forget he was leaving. The man actually put a hand over his glass, which surprised the keeper.

"Nope, I'm through this time. I hear they're looking for new recruits for this new Empire they're building. Corellia's a good start at least, they're always looking for pilots." The man reached into the pocket of his vest and pulled out what likely was the papers for his property.

"I am leaving for good, even sold my speeder. That and the money from the homestead and I'll be on my way to a new life."

After a moment's hesitation, the man stood and put out his hand to the keeper.

"Thanks for the drinks Jori, and the ear." He dropped some credits on the bar and headed out of the cantina.

Leaving sufficient money on the table, Obi Wan tried to leave as casually as possible, nodding to the keep as he left. Pulling his hood up as he crossed the threshold he turned to his right and saw the receding back of Dalo. Keeping his hands inside the sleeves of his cloak, the Jedi was another anonymous figure making his way purposefully down the street.

Within a few strides, he had caught up with the homesteader reaching out through the Force, the Jedi tapped into his surface thoughts. Planting an image of Obi Wan's face and the emotional association of a friend.

"Dalo! I've been looking for you." The man spun around to see who had called him and stopped slightly confused.

"Do we know each other? You're familiar but don't remember from where." Obi Wan could feel the man fighting the memory, and moving his hand to the man's shoulder, he reinforced the false memory.

"We did some business a few seasons ago, I'm not suprised you don't remember me. I'm rather forgettable. Are you going somewhere?"

The man scanned Obi Wan's face for clues and finally accepted that they had met once, but the circumstances were fuzzy. He didn't owe him money apparently so he didn't feel threatened.

"Yeah, Ben...Kenobi is it? I'm leaving this dustbowl and heading to Corellia. Selling the homestead and getting out for good."

Obi Wan feigned surprise and looked around briefly, taking a few steps closer to the shelter of a building.

"Really!? What are you doing with your home? That's a nice little piece of land you have."

Obi Wan had no idea where it was but had the distinct impression it wasn't in town.

A Ronto passed by them with Jawas hanging on to it's back and the two men pressed themselves against the wall to avoid getting crushed.

"Handing it over to the assayers office. I'm not coming back here any time soon, not coming back to live at least. What about you?"

Obi Wan shrugged and put his hands back in his sleeves out of habit.

"I've got to stick around a while longer but don't want to stay here, say...." Nudging the mans' mind a little, Obi Wan put his hand on his shoulder again, and glanced around.

"Would you consider letting me have your old home? I can give you something for it, enough to get you out of here."

There was the slightest hesitation and Dalo answered, "I was hoping to sell it to someone I know but I haven't seen you until now. You're just the person I had in mind really."

Pulling the document out of his pocket, Dalo looked at it for a moment.

"Need to transfer the ownership at the assayers office. That way it's yours all legal."

As much as Obi Wan was pleased with the man's wish to keep it legal, he did not feel comfortable with the idea of his presence being traced anywhere.

"We don't need to go to the office, I can rent it like an apartment."

"You can rent it from me, like an apartment. Don't need to go to the office."

Obi Wan nodded as if it were Dalo's idea,

"I'll keep the place occupied and save you the fees for the transfer by renting."

"It'll save me money renting it to you and you can keep it occupied." Dalo blinked and looked at his 'friend' Ben.

"What about the first season's rent? I still need the money to get off this rock." A moment of panic passed through Obi Wan that the man had shook off his suggestive state.

Reaching into the pouch at his belt, Obi Wan gave Dalo most of his credits.

"That should do for a down payment, enough for a ticket to the next system."

The chips of metal clinked into the man's hand and his greed overrode most of his mental stupor.

"That will do fine. More than fine. Here's the title to my house. Have fun."

With that, Dalo walked off toward the spaceport with a grin on his face and a slight jump to his stride. Obi Wan was left standing in the street somewhat confused. He hadn't given the man any suggestion, apparently greed is it's own persuasion.

Looking at the flimsy record, he wasn't sure where exactly it was located and didn't know how to find out other than asking someone. Which is what he did but it took some careful inquiries to actually get directions that he could follow. It wasn't as complex as Coruscant but getting lost would be just as deadly in the wrong area here as in a city.

Renting a small speeder for the afternoon, he finally arrived at his new home. It was a perfect location, at the edge of a bluff overlooking the edge of the Dune Sea. Toward the west, he could make out the dome and vaporator spires of the Lars homestead.

Obi Wan marveled at the way of the Force, perhaps it was a little more than that as he remembered Qui Gon's reminder that the Force was with him still.


End file.
